Under-fire Arsenal boss Renee Slegers says her side are not in the conversation for this season's Women's Super League title after a 4-2 defeat to Man City left them languishing in tenth place in the table, 10 points adrift of the league leaders. The visitors twice led at the Etihad on Sunday, only for Man City to storm back late on to claim all three points as Andree Jeglertz's team moved back top of the standings heading into the international break. In stark contrast, Arsenal's second loss already just five matches into the new campaign increases the pressure on Slegers, with the Gunners having made their worst start to a WSL season since 2014.
Slegers says she and her staff will conduct a comprehensive review into what has gone wrong in the early part of this season during the international break. "It is a tough result," she told Sky Sports after the game. "First half goes back and forth. Two teams that have momentum and create. Second half we start well, score a good goal. A lot changes when they make their three changes, they bring an energy and one of the changes makes the goal." She added: "It's been a lot of games where we feel like we have it and then we don't. That's really pressing, demanding mentally."
However, Slegers' opposite number offered her support, with Jeglertz claiming Arsenal would be back. "It's not about Arsenal," said the City boss. "They are a great football team. They had a struggle in the beginning, but it's still a good football team. There are a lot of good players. So I'm pretty sure when we end up in the spring that they will definitely be up there and fighting about the title."
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing